Advances in Soil Science Volume 2
The world population in 1930 was 2 billion. It reached 3 billion in 1960, stands at 4. 6 billion today, and is expected to reach 6 billion by the end of the century. The food and fiber needs of such a rapidly increasing population are enormous. One of the
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Advances in Soil Science B.A. Stewart, Editor
Editorial Board
J.P. Quirk U. Schwertmann G.W. Thomas P.B. Tinker R.J. Wagenet B. Varon
Advances in Soil Science Volume 2
Edited by B.A. Stewart
With Contributions by Elaine Bragg, J.M. Lynch, Konrad Mengel, Calvin W. Rose, and Koji Wada
With 54 Illustrations
Springer-Verlag New York Berlin Heidelberg Tokyo
B.A. Stewart USDA Conservation & Production Research Laboratory Bushland, Texas 79012 U.S.A.
ISBN-13: 978-1-4612-9558-7 DOl: 10.1007/978-1-4612-5088-3
e-ISBN-13: 978-1-4612-5088-3
1985 by Springer-Verlag New York Inc. Softcover reprint of the hardcover I st edition 1985
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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be translated or reproduced in any form without written permission from Springer-Verlag, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10010, U.S.A. The use of general descriptive names, trade names, trademarks, etc., in this publication, even if the former are not especially identified, is not to be taken as a sign that such names, as understood by the Trade Marks and Merchandise Act, may accordingly be used freely by anyone. Typeset by Ampersand Publisher Services, Inc., Rutland, Vermont.
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Preface
The world population in 1930 was 2 billion. It reached 3 billion in 1960, stands at 4.6 billion today, and is expected to reach 6 billion by the end of the century. The food and fiber needs of such a rapidly increasing population are enormous. One of the most basic resources, perhaps the most basic of all, for meeting these needs is the soil. There is an urgent need to improve and protect this resource on which the future of mankind directly depends. We must not only learn how to use the soil to furnish our immediate needs, but also ensure that the ability of the soil to sustain food production in the future is unimpaired. This is indeed a mammoth task; a 1977 United Nations survey reported that almost one-fifth of the world's cropland is now being steadily degraded. The diversity of soil makes it necessary for research to be conducted in many locations. There are basic principles, however, that are universal. This, Advances in Soil Sciences, presents clear and concise reviews in all areas of soil science for everyone interested in this basic resource and man's influence on it. The purpose of the series is to provide a forum for leading scientists to analyze and summarize the available scientific information on a subject, assessing its importance and identifying additional research needs. But most importantly, the contributors will develop principles that have practical applications to both developing and developed agricultures. It is not the purpose of the series to report new research findings because there are many excellent scientific journals for that need. Communications in scientific journals, however, are generally restricted to short and technical presentations. Therefore, Advances in Soil Science fills a gap between the scientific journals and the comprehensive reference books in which scientists can delve in depth on a par
